Rota Regna
Rota Regna, literally meaning Wheel of Reign, is a powerful item that bestows certain powerful creatures with an additional totally randomized dose of luck, unaffected by natural universe bias and far more powerful. It is a much weaker force than other Bureau artifacts, and, with hard work, its negative effects can be overcome (though they are forever present). Administered by Vannah Fortuna- who, in official power, holds about as much sway as Mandy Mortis and Becky -this item is spun at random and ends at random. Its outcome effects a given head of state or other prominent figure. It is part of the Narrator's branch of the corporate governance, therefore meaning that the Wheel, and Vannah, answer to Mayor McFlapp. Its power is also shared with the Board of Fiction, and is used when arguments appear on the destiny of a powerful character. In addition, the Wheel can operate a check and balance to The Stampers Five. It can change a Stamper's stamp... -but only through total randomness. Description The Wheel Rota Regna is comprised, naturally, of a large wheel and a small pointer. When the wheel is grabbed and spun, whatever panel it stops on determines the fate of the designated sovereign. Appearence The wheel is bright and segmented. Each segment is a different color, with its own writing and result. It sits on a large platform, and it is grabbed and spun by Vannah from the red, blue, and yellow countertop behind it. Each of its segments have their own purpose. Written both in Antican and English, the four segments are as follows, from top and going counter-clockwise. The first phrase is written horizontally on the panel, the second vertically (and it's smaller). *"I reign"/$5000 *"I reigned"/LOSE A TURN *"My reign is finished"/BANKRUPT *"I shall reign"/FREE SPIN Powers Each segment also exhibits a power on its chosen victim. Whatever is set on the wheel will be effected by its spin. It can change the positions of the victim, making them rise or fall in total randomness, and no creature can effect the outcome without facing serious consequences. :Operation of the Wheel works as follows: * Vannah Fortuna receives an order from her superiors to determine a victim's destiny. * The name of the victim given, Vannah conjures up a stuffed/plush replica of that creature and places it in the center of the Wheel. * Vannah grabs the Rota Regna and spins it with all her good-looking might. * The Wheel spins and stops on one of the four panels. Sound effects play, and other such things occur. * A printer nearby prints the results, where bureaucrats stand by to transport to other character-related bureaucrats. Effects on luck *The I Reign/$5000 panel gives the victim extraordinarily good luck for life. His or her position(s) of power will more likely be permanent if untampered with by higher powers. This does not necessarily mean they are good or bad, it just means that they're really lucky. It also does not effect how good they reign, just how long they reign without danger to their rule. It is hard to unseat a ruler favored by Rota Regna, but certainly not impossible. **A lucky character will be much harder to hit with snowballs, weapons, gunfire, and other things, and will miss many a snare by sheer coincidence, like picking up a coin or turning the other way. Lucky rulers are harder to coup, simply because the would-be Resistance can't take the ruler out or down. * The I Reigned/LOSE A TURN panel does nothing to effect the victim. In fact, it significantly diminishes all luck- good or bad -on said creature. The victim probably won't get a casino jackpot, but he or she will never find themselves missing the bus on a rainy day, splattered in mud on the very moment they need to be punctual. If they are in power, the other factors, in addition to their own merits and environment, will be what affects them. They could be as cemented as a favored character, or removable as a cursed one, all based on their work. **An unfavored character as this could be couped, but only if the Resistance sent to do it is extremely talented or if the ruler slips up and gets trapped. They are favored neither way and are solely taken out or saved by their merits and the merits of their enemies. *The My Reign is Finished/BANKRUPT panel curses the victim with bad luck. They will tend to be more accident prone, and things will tend to go against them. If in power, they are forced to work extra hard (or be sneaky, or both) to keep their position. They are the kind of poor creature that tends to get hurt, or fall down, or drop things. They also tend to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. However, and like all panels, this does not effect their personalities or their abilities. They can be easily unseated from any position they get, unless the work their butts off to stay there. If a cursed character is in power, he or she is truly a self-made creature. **Characters cursed by Rota Regna will experience bad luck a lot. Even weak/pathetic Resistances could knock the cursed character out of power if they get lucky, and skilled rebels find it a cakewalk. However, if the unlucky character works hard enough, they can retain their reign, even though the rebels are favored by the Wheel. It is always an upward struggle for a cursed character. *The I Shall Reign/FREE SPIN panel places the victim in an odd state of limbo. They will experience equal dosages of good and bad luck (like RL), and if they get in power, they can easily lose the job if they dare slip up. While all panels still allow luck to be slightly manipulated by superstition (e.g. four leaf clovers, horseshoes, etc.), those that land here will experience tremendous gains or losses depending on the item. In power, they are sometimes assisted like a favored character, and other times, their enemies are assisted like a cursed character. Or, like an untouched character, no favor happens. Revocability Contrary to what it may look like, Rota Regna is actually far less powerful than it really is. The decision of the Rota Regna, while final and permanent, can be overcome in many ways. Any character, regardless of other forms of bias and universe conspiring, can overcome much of their fate on the Wheel. The Wheel does not set anything about them, bias or not. Rota Regna gives them luck (or curses them with the opposite by giving their enemies luck). Luck, as a random factor that effects everyday lives, can be overcome, if the victim is indeed inflicted with something. *For example, a character cursed by the Wheel with bad luck can still get into power, but he or she will have to work and strive with all their might to overcome their odds, as the Wheel has landed them in an uphill struggle. A cursed creature with lots of power despite the constant bad luck (falling, mirrors, robberies, etc. etc.) is a truly hard-working one, and tend to get admiration from those who can break the Fourth Wall. *On the flip side, powerful characters favored by the Wheel can slip up if they are that incompetent. In power or authority, they are favored in any situation, so if they screw up, it's pretty sad. Correlation to Stamper bias The Stampers Five set literal bias for or against a creature. This bias is a part of them and can not be altered. Rota Regna sets a creature's luck. These are entirely different from one-another and can contrast. A pure evil character can be blessed with good luck, but the nicest darn creature you ever did see could be forever doomed to misfortune. This is the randomness of the Wheel. Reversing a Stamper It is a common fact that The Stampers Five screw up a lot. A villain can get good bias, a hero bad. It is extremely hard to order a reverse (primarily because of all of the red tape to do it), but successful reversal forms can be reversed in two manners. One is by lengthy forms and many approvals, and the other is by Rota Regna. Each require paperwork, but Rota Regna calls for much less. In the event of a Regna Revoke- as the re-bias is called -the character's file is brought to the Wheel, where the smaller, vertical writing comes to play. :The Wheel can do one of four things, depending on the panels discussed earlier. Here, the vertical writing takes over. *The I Reign/$5000 panel has the thing sent back to the Stampers, who cross out the old title with a special "Marker of Fate", and restamp it with a "GOOD" stamp. * The I Reigned/LOSE A TURN panel orders the stampers to replace the crossed out error and replace it with a "NEUTRAL" stamp. *The My Reign is Finished/BANKRUPT panel sends the file to be replaced with a "BAD" stamp *The I Shall Reign/FREE SPIN panel orders for Vannah to spin the wheel again until she gets one of the above three. Trivia * Rota Regna is a parody of the Wheel of Fortune and the Wheel of Fortune. There's a difference: one is a Greek myth, the other a classic game show. * This was written on inspiration from Explorer's defunct "Wheel of History" and originated from a stream of links beginning at O Fortuna and ending at Rota Fortunae. Internal Links * Vannah Fortuna * Department of Plot * The Stampers Five * Las Puffles * Communist Poker Face * Bugzy's Casino * Bureau of Fiction category:items category:Masters of the Universe category:parodies category:Legal Gambling Areas